in less than two weeks, pope benedict will step down and there are speculations about who is going to replace him. >> so what are the chances of an american becoming the next pope? abc's david wright lets us know. >> reporter: cardinal sean o'malley is a prince of the church who lives like a pauper. even his clothes set him apart. cardinal sean, as he likes to be called, wears the simple brown robes of a monk, plus sandals. even in winter in boston. >> he's a holy man, and a man of simplicity. wouldn't that be a lovely thing to have in a pope. >> reporter: the boston arch diocese he inherited was badly tainted. he sold off the cardinal's residence to pay off the victims and moved into a single room. the church has not always been so responsive. >> any new pope is going to have to look at that issue and speak to it. >> reporter: here in rome, there's been an unwritten rule, no pope from a superpower. but vatican watchers say times have changed. >> people realize a cardinal from the united states is not necessarily going to represent u.s. political interests. >> reporter: o'malley is on